Chicken Okra Stew

Salt chicken, season with spices side w/o skin with no skin. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan with high walls over medium heat until hot. Place the chicken thighs into the hot oil, skin side down, and turn heat to medium high. Brown the thighs for about 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until thighs are browned on both sides and skin is golden and crisp. Remove the thighs from the pan. Add the sliced onion to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the carrots and sweet potatoes, sauté them for 2-3 more minutes until the onion starts to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth to the pan, stirring and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the mixture cooks. Add 1 ½ cups more broth to the pan along with the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and 3 tbsp of the chopped cilantro or parsley. Careful with the cayenne when adding to taste, it’s extremely spicy. I usually add ¼ tsp of cayenne, which gives the stew a slight kick. Stir the mixture and bring to a boil. Add ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper to the pot. Stir all the ingredients, then reduce heat to a simmer. Put chicken thighs back in the sauté pan and ladle sauce and carrots over them. Cover the pot, vented on one side, and let the stew simmer for 45 minutes, occasionally basting the thighs with sauce, until chicken is tender. Uncover the pot and remove chicken thighs and skin. Stir the sliced okra into the sauce, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cover again, letting the okra cook for 15-20 more minutes until tender. Meanwhile, cut chicken meat from the bones in thick shreds, discarding bones, skin and excess fat. Stir the sliced chicken back into the pot with the okra as it cooks. If the stew seems too dry, add a little chicken broth to rehydrate. Let the mixture simmer until the okra is softened and the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp chopped cilantro. Serve stew over cooked quinoa or brown rice. Option: If you prefer you can keep the chicken pieces whole rather than shredding them; be sure to discard the skin before serving.